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In the French Alps, marmots are known for the whistles they use to warn of danger. They may also be sounding an alarm that we humans need to hear.

Join researchers in the breathtaking La Grande Sassière Nature Reserve as they monitor the marmot population they’ve been working with for over 20 years. You’ll help track the size and makeup of marmot families and watch as they play, groom, snuggle for warmth, mark their territories, and fight—in short, as they live out their daily lives. You’ll also get to know individual marmots by setting and checking traps baited with dandelions and recording data on any critters you catch.

You won’t spend all your time with marmots on this expedition; you’ll also become immersed in the rest of the Alpine world as you monitor plant life and weather. By combining this environmental information with the trove of data you will have helped collect on the marmots, researchers can make valuable connections between climate and how the marmot population is faring and changing.

Alpine areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Resident species are highly specialized, and can’t just relocate if their habitats change to the point where they are unable to survive. By examining the Alpine marmot, you can help uncover the characteristics that influence whether a species can cope—or not—with climate change, and determine how they evolve as a result of the global phenomenon.

Lead scientists

Accommodations and food

Why the research is important

Why the research is important

10,000 years ago, marmots died out in another Alpine environment—the Pyrenees—due to rising temperatures (they have since been reintroduced). Help protect this population from meeting the same fate.

The Alpine marmot isn’t just charming to watch. It’s also a keystone species—one that plays a critical role in maintaining ecosystem balance.

Marmots matter. They foster plant diversity and are a main food for predators in their environment. Researchers know that climate has a huge impact on the breeding and survival rates of wild animals: it can mean the difference between a species thriving or going extinct. It’s critical to understand how these marmots will respond to climate change, not just because they are so important to the natural world of the French Alps, but also because Alpine regions feel the effects of climate change before many other environments. By investigating this key species, we hope to learn more about how all living species may respond to this major global shift.

Investigate how marmots are faring in the face of climate change.

Researchers on this project focus on the demography of Alpine marmots: in other words, they are learning how behavior, survival, breeding success, and population growth are affected by external factors, such as characteristics of the environment a species lives in, and internal factors, such as the sex and age of individuals. They also look at how marmots behave as their climate changes. By understanding these creatures, we may find ways to protect their population, and maybe even our own.

About the research area

Tignes, France, Europe & Russia

You’ll spend most of your time in La Grande Sassière Nature Reserve, which is home to an incredible variety of plants and animals. You’re likely to see ibex, chamois, foxes, and maybe even an elusive roe deer. Birdwatchers will enjoy the opportunity to spot bearded vultures, golden eagles, rufous-tailed rock thrushes, black grouse, and wallcreepers. You’ll encounter beautiful scenery every day as you work in a gently sloping meadow along a small river, surrounded by stunning mountains dotted with glaciers, lakes, and pastures.

In the valleys are small villages that depend mainly on tourism for income. Within a 30-minute drive of the accommodations, you can visit Val D’Isère, another famed ski resort. You can also hike in the mountains, join guided nature walks with national park rangers, and visit the farm of l’Adroit to learn how French cheese is made.

Day 7: Those on one-week teams head home. Those on two-week teams have a recreational day, which might include hiking, visiting cheese makers, or touring local villages.

For two-week teams:

Days 8–13: See Days 2–6 above

Day 14: Departure

You’ll rise bright and early to head into the field, where you’ll be guided by staff at every step on the Alpine as you work:

• Baiting traps: Hike to find spots to set-up and check marmot traps, helping record biometric measurements of marmots, while collecting and and labeling biological samples.
• Observing marmots: Record the number, age, and sex of marmots. You’ll search for marmot pups and record their emergence date and litter size; and you’ll film their behavior.
• Monitoring vegetation: Record the abundance and distribution of native plant species, examining leaf emergence, and whether plants are flowering or fruiting in relation to climatic conditions.
• Lab work & data entry: Process, organize, store, and index biological samples and enter data into the database back at the Chalet.
• Community outreach: Communicate research activities to tourists, and support the project’s partnerships with the schools in the Tarentaise Valley.

Lunch will be at the chalet or in the mountains. In the evenings, you’ll have time to relax, and even help prepare dinner. The team leader will brief on the next day’s objectives and assign tasks. Throughout the expedition, you’ll hear informal lectures on the impact of climate change on wildlife.

Note: Field conditions and research needs can lead to changes in the itinerary and activities. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

MEET THE OTHER SCIENTISTS

Accommodations and Food

Accommodations and Food

Twin beds

Single rooms on request

Home-cooked French food

You’ll stay in a beautiful Alpine chalet overlooking Tignes-Le-Lac, one of the most famous and picturesque ski resorts in the Alps. The chalet offers free wireless Internet service, as well as a sun deck, an open living area with a fireplace, and a dining area. Hiking trails that wind through the Alps begin just beyond the chalet door.

Cooking is an important and convivial part of French culture, so you’ll take turns preparing typical French meals with the help of a field assistant. You’ll enjoy a range of delicious, locally sourced and organic foods, including cheese, polenta, and raclette (a regional dish of melted cheese over bread or potatoes). During the research day, the team will either have lunch back at the chalet or take a picnic lunch out into the Alps.